The increase in infections due to the omicron variant is worrying the hospitality industry, which, despite the fact that it started the month of December with force,

is now suffering a wave of cancellations

of reservations in the establishments.

They are, above all, company dinners in restaurants or venues with a large capacity.

This also happens on what is supposed to be the busiest weekend of the year: the one before Christmas Eve.

"Every day we see how cancellations are increasing because people are avoiding staying, out of fear, especially in places with more capacity. For now,

small group dinners are being less affected.

We trust that at least the small ones They are going to solve it, "says José Luis Yzuel, president of the Hospitality Industry of Spain, which brings together more than 300,000 establishments in the country.

What is being canceled above all are the large dinners organized by the companies, although from this association they emphasize that, facing this weekend, ómicron is already affecting the dinner reservations of friends and family, with fewer diners.

"

The dinner is small, which we trust can alleviate the cancellations in the rest

," explains Yzuel.

Gauges

In Seville, 75% of company dinners have been canceled, according to the Hospitality Industry of Spain, and

a dinner for 500 people was canceled this Thursday in a hotel in Madrid

.

"This is also happening with those of 100 or 200, which is a big blow for the establishment, especially at this time, because that has already been lost and is not going to be recovered," laments Yzuel.

The sector expected to close this Christmas campaign with a turnover between 10% and 15% below the 2019 figures, but "with these cancellations the data has worsened" and they already predict that the annual decline in the sector could be around 20% or 25% with respect to the Christmas figures in prepandemic.

Of the 10,0000 million euros that they expected to bill this Christmas, they will remain around 8,500-9,000 million, according to data from the employer's association.

They are an extra 1,000 million euros that have been lost on these dates due to all the cancellations.

"The start of the month of December had been good, and so was the bridge. We exceeded expectations. Now, this drop has a lot to do with the cancellations of this last week," laments Yzuel.

The triggering of infections

has been a blow to the sector

, which since this summer has seen its recovery skyrocket, especially as vaccination progressed.

In 2020, business losses were around 70,000 million euros, which represents 50% of its sales, and it is estimated that around 85,000 establishments closed.

In 2019 the sector had a turnover of more than 130,000 million euros.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Seville

  • Omicron variant

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